The Dyslexic Learning Journey | Perth

There is no straightforward path to take in order for dyslexics to cope with their learning disadvantages in Perth schools, but a better understanding of their plight will make a world of difference.

Coping with Schoolwork

There are two scary situations that can be faced by dyslexics when it comes to dealing with schoolwork; one is that they have no idea how to answer the exam and as time continues to tick away, panic begins to set in to make things worse. The second situation is that dyslexics are prepared to give the answers, but unlike other students, they are faced with a disadvantage of having to decode the questions into a form they can easily understand to correctly match it with the right questions. At Focused Education we often find Dyslexic students fail entire tests because they do not understand two or three words. It’s tragic, but with the right speech therapy or specialist tutoring intervention, better results can be achieved.

This disadvantage now becomes more pronounced as the allotted time begins to expire. Just like in the first situation, panic eventually takes over, and no matter how prepared dyslexics are, they still cannot cope with schoolwork. The sad thing about this is that all of these would eventually pile up into one big frustration that may end up in students with dyslexia quitting. This will continue in a vicious cycle until something is done.

At Focused Education we often find Dyslexic students fail entire tests because they do not understand two or three words. It’s tragic, but with the right speech therapy or specialist tutoring intervention, better results can be achieved.

Time is a Friend

In the first situation, there is no excuse for lack of preparedness to deal with schoolwork; however, in the second situation, time would have been a great friend of dyslexics. If Perth students have a current Dyslexia assessment many West Australian educational institutions will give students additional time to complete the test. Extra time is not the entire solution, but it is part of the equation.

Experienced educators will realize that there is a discrepancy on how dyslexics speak in class and how they face timed examinations. Giving them a bit more time to cope with their disadvantage is an excellent way to boost their morale and keep them on the road to learning. Starting this practice early on in the education of dyslexics can ensure that a greater number of them would be confident to go to college and earn their degrees.

Education, after all, is an unending pursuit of knowledge, so giving those that are a bit challenged assistance in understanding the curriculum should not be a hindrance in their desire to learn. Undoubtedly, with a bit more time to read and understand questions, dyslexics will eventually perform better in their schoolwork.

An Ego Booster

Not everyone with dyslexia is diagnosed early on in their life, some take twenty or more years before it is established that they have the disadvantage. Children with dyslexia face the same problems as those without, especially teenagers. This means wanting to fit in and not being labelled as a special needs child that has to be in a special class or feeling like an outcast in school.

This is why it is important to establish the necessary support early on. This will give them an ego boost that will allow them to compete with those that do not have a learning disadvantage. In fact, this ego booster can translate to dyslexics improving in their schoolwork as well as finding it easy to fit in with their age groups. At Focused Education we provide speech therapy and specialist tutoring services that provide that ego boost.

The importance of being accepted by other students is that it will give dyslexics the courage to face up to the real problem that they have. It is not unlikely that many dyslexics put up a front simply to mask their learning struggles. The fear of being labelled as someone with special needs may prevent them from asking the additional time that they need, which is why it is up to educators to recognize who these students are.

Moving Up and Forward

Once dyslexics receive the much-needed ego booster, they will no longer put much importance into being labelled as students with special needs. They begin to accept the reality and practicality of needing extra time when dealing with schoolwork. This means the ability to perform better with consistency. They can now move up in class and forward in their education because they would be more careful in double checking answers and ensuring that their thoughts are properly expressed.

It would be exciting to look forward to the dramatic improvement in their grades because eventually, these gains would be put to good use once they begin to work in the real world. There is no denying that there is much value for dyslexics to ensure that what they write is consistent with what they are thinking. Obviously, they would want to avoid writing down words that did not make sense simply because it sounded like it did.

Those that have traveled the road of learning understand how important it is to be understood in relation to moving up and forward in studies and in a career. With dyslexic grammar being flexible as it is, undoubtedly, additional time given to allow them to compose their thoughts and translate it to written words would be valuable.

Small Improvements Count

For the majority of dyslexics, failure to cope with schoolwork instils in them the belief that they are meant to be failing students. However, with the time extensions, the small improvements they make would translate into self-assuring results that would make them begin to entertain the thought that if a B grade was possible, then why not A?

It would be unreasonable to expect immediate transformations, but encouraging and supporting these small improvements would result in sustained learning and continuous upward trend for many dyslexics. The important thing to realize is that the additional time extended to dyslexics can create improvements across the board including subjects like calculus, chemistry, and even philosophy. They would also have more motivation to prepare for all types of schoolwork, not just exams, which is a crucial ingredient in the road to learning.

The Role of Perth Teachers

Let’s face it, for a high school student to be labelled as special by his peers would be a terrifying thought; what is worse though is being seen as one by his teachers and professors. The opinions of professors mean a lot for every student, especially dyslexics. This is why it is vital for educators to look at dyslexic students as equals despite their particular needs.

Being seen as an equal instead of a special needs student gives dyslexics the confidence to go forward and ask for the additional time that they need because they know that they will be understood. Educators who are supportive of the needs of dyslexic students become huge influences because these students begin to realize that their learning disadvantage is not a hindrance to their intellectual ability or academic success.

Dealing with Insecurities

Insecurities are easier formed than confidence. This is a sad truth in life, however, with all the right support; dyslexic students will begin to realize that being different is not synonymous to being inferior. In fact, many discoveries that have greatly affected the course of human history came from looking at ordinary things from a different perspective, so why not give the same benefit to dyslexics?

Instead of feeding their insecurities, Australian institutions, educators, agencies, and fellow students should help dyslexics with their insecurities by encouraging them to take an alternative route to learning. Even students that do not have the disadvantage may learn a thing or two on how dyslexics approach questions and problems related to schoolwork. The only way to effectively learn and grow is to do things differently; it would be unreasonable to expect a different result from doing the same things repeatedly.

Once the change begins, it would be difficult to stop it. This is how it is when dyslexics begin to conquer their insecurities, they start believing they can do well in school and they continue to pursue, prepare, and improve. They form habits that can yield unexpected results. Most important of all is that they understand that making a mistake is normal and that they have the power to shape their future based on their own processes.

There is no time limit to learning and all of these precious gains begin with giving enough time to dyslexics to learn using their own routines. In due time, you will see them running the road to learning with no plans of stopping.

Help is here

At Focused Education we help Dyslexic children cope. Our specialist tutors are Masters Degree qualified teachers that understand how to make learning fun.

CONTACT US TODAY BECAUSE WE CAN HELP YOUR CHILD

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